Page 17 of Daughters of Chaos

"I'm feeling a ride," she says, looking at Jesse. "You up for giving me one?" Her words drip with innuendo.

His face lights up as he eyes my sister, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth. "You want me to take you for a ride, babe?"

Raven saunters over to him, letting her palm rest on his muscular thigh. "If you're up for it."

The tension between them is palpable. One spark, and they'll burst into a fiery blaze. Jesse smirks, taking her request as a challenge—one he isn't willing to concede. He licks his lips as he eyes the hand that lies high on his leg, tempting him. When he looks up, his gaze travels a searing line down my sister's form.

The biker cocks his head. "Climb on, baby. I'll take you for a ride you'll never forget."

Raven smirks, grabbing the helmet he offers up as she slides onto the bike behind him. Jesse's grin grows as her body molds against him. "Hang on tight, sexy."

I'm frozen in place, staring at them. My sister, the cold, hard ice queen, is flirting. I can't believe my eyes. She's suspicious of Elias and most of the rest of the gang, but she's different aroundJesse. Maybe he can melt the walls of Raven's icy heart. Perhaps he can be the reason she comes to accept our new life in Arizona.

A warm hand on my shoulder startles me out of my reverie. My heart thuds in my chest when I turn to see Raptor looking at me, biting back a laugh at my reaction. "Ready to go?"

"Yeah," I squeak.

Raptor dazzles me with a grin as he leads me back to the van. I watch, trying to calm my thundering heart as he walks around the front and climbs into the driver's seat.She did it for me.Raven decided to ride back with Jesse so I could have this time with Raptor. Alone. I'll have to thank her when we get back. Heaven knows how much I've wanted to spend time with the tattooed Adonis sitting next to me.

Now, thanks to my sister, I have that chance.

The engine roars to life, and once again, our caravan hits the road. I'm excited and nervous. I've dreamed of having time alone with Raptor since the first day I met him. Now that I have my chance, my words are failing. For several agonizing minutes, silence stretches between us. I think hard, grasping at straws for something to say to break the ice, but everything I think to say sounds lame.

I search the depths of my mind for something intriguing, gnawing my lip as I do. "You okay?" Raptor's smooth voice shakes me from my stupor.

My face snaps toward him, and I stare wide-eyed at my crush. "What?" is my humiliating reply.

He motions back the way we came. "Viper told us all a bit about what happened with your mom. I can't imagine yesterday was easy on you," he says softly.

The corner of my mouth twitches and I feel my heart warm a bit more for the gorgeous man next to me. I nod. "I'm okay. A little overwhelmed with everything, but okay."

Raptor splits his attention between the road in front of us and me in the passenger seat. "I bet."

With a sudden burst of confidence, I ask him, "So, where did the name Raptor come from anyway?"

His mouth quirks. "My dad was part of the original MC. When I was a kid, he'd bring me along while he worked in the auto shop. I'd fill my bag with a few toys to keep me busy, but one in particular was my favorite."

"Let me guess, a velociraptor?"

He laughs, and the sound is like music to my ears. "I was a big fan ofJurassic Park," he confirms.

I chuckle as he opens up to me. "So, the guys started calling you Raptor."

"That's right. The guy who started the MC, Axel, is the one who gave me the nickname. After that, it stuck. I've been Raptor ever since."

A soft hum vibrates in my throat as I watch him, enjoying the normalcy of our conversation. "So, what's your real name?"

He takes his eyes off the road for a second to shoot me a glance. "Mason. Mason Reilly."

"Mason." I let his name fall from my lips as his eyes find mine again. Something flashes between us at that moment—a spark as his gaze slides from my eyes to my mouth. There's a longing in his stare—one I won't soon forget, even as it vanishes as quickly as it appeared.

I don't want him to stop talking. I need to hear his voice and have him look at me again, so I continue asking questions. He answers them, smiling and laughing at some of the funnier memories he shares and getting a far-off look at the heavier ones.

He tells me about his family. How his dad was his hero and how he'd raised him alone after his mom took off when he was little. It surprises me when he shares a few details of hisdad's death. A terrible accident. He was caught in the crossfire of a turf war between two gangs when a bullet from one of the gang members mortally wounded him. When Raptor—Mason—shares that, I want nothing more than to wrap him in a tight hug and never let him go.

We have that in common—losing a parent too soon. I feel like that bonds us, and the feeling only grows as I continue to learn more about him. He asks me about New Mexico, my friends and family, and what I wanted to be growing up. The more we share, the closer I feel to him.

He's so easy to talk to and more laid back than I could have imagined. Even with the heavy topics, I've seen him smile more than I had the entire time we were in Arizona. That smile will do me in; I know it.

---